Lloyd Price/The Coasters

Here’s two singles that I found in my parents big pile of old 45s. They don’t remember anything about either of them, but must have picked them up when they were living in Louisiana in the late 70s and early 80s. Information on these two is kinda scarce, but I dug up a little.

Lloyd Price – Bad Conditions/The Truth 7″
Lloyd Price is a New Orleans R&B legend best known for his 50s hit “Lawdy Miss Clawdy”. This single is from 1969 and was releases on Price’s own label, Lloyd Price’s Turntable. In 1968, Lloyd Price recorded a couple of tracks in Jamaica. One of which was “The Truth” and was released as a single on JAD records in ’68. (see this blog post for more information on that single). “The Truth” was recycled as a b-side for “Bad Conditions”, which was (apparently) recorded during those same Jamaican sessions. Information on this stuff is pretty scarce on the internet. Allmusic Guide says that “Bad Conditions” was a sizable hit, but that’s the only reference to it that I can find outside of the aforementioned blog post.

“Bad Conditions” is a reggae inflected soul/funk number that is a goddamn fireball. Lyrically, it’s a “What’s Going On” kind of thing, but the real draw here is the bangin’ reggae beat, Price’s passionate vocals and, my favorite part, a strange Morse code sounding organ line. “The Truth” is just a hair less compelling. Where “Bad Conditions” is reggae influenced, “The Truth” is just straight reggae, albeit reggae with New Orleans R&B vocals.

The Coasters – Act Right/The World is Changing 7″
The Coasters were a doo wop/R&B group best known for their 1958 hit “Yakety Yak”. This single is from 1969 and was their sole release on Lloyd Price’s Turntable. At this point, their lineup was Carl Gardner, Billy Guy, Ronnie Bright, and Earl Carroll. (This and this have more information)

“Act Right” is good soul number with doo wop vocals (‘natch) and is pretty nice. There’s some great string backings and killer guitar. “The World is Changing” has a funky, driving rhythm and is a late 60s social consciousness type thing. The best part is the cascading wordless vocal intro.